Take a walk with us through the new additions at Eckert’s in Belleville. They’re now open
The new Cider Shed and Mr. E’s Cider Donut & Custard Shop at Eckert’s Belleville Farm are officially open.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Thursday morning. I wasn’t able to attend the event, but I was lucky enough to arrange for a little tour of my own later in the day.
Angie Eckert, director of retail operations for Eckert’s, was kind enough to show colleague Derik Holtmann and me around the new facilities.
“This is one of the biggest projects we’ve done since opening the remodeled country store in 2010 and our family is just super excited about doing something unique in the area,” she said.
As finishing touches were being taken care of in the Cider Shed and its dining areas, Eckert walked us through the new building, pointing out some of the details in the new setup.
For example, the wood accent features at the Cider Shed entrance, the stage and bar areas are made from reclaimed wood. (Way to upcycle!)
Some of the structure’s original elements remain in the building as a nod to its past life as a slaughterhouse. (As a vegan, I admit I shuddered at that for a sec, but the building turned out beautifully.)
The Cider Shed has an indoor bar area with seating for dining as well as for lounging. Upon entering the Cider Shed, look to the right. You’ll see a beautiful fireplace that was donated to Eckert’s by Empire Comfort Systems, which has operated in Belleville since 1932.
There will also be an Eckert’s-branded merch stand inside the shed.
Work on part of the shed is still in progress. Once complete, it will be a space that can be rented out for private gatherings.
In front of the shed there is an outdoor seating area, which will be partitioned for privacy and can also be reserved. Note the same Empire fireplace — it’s a two-way fireplace!
Going from inside the Cider Shed out to the dining pavilion, we came upon rows of new picnic tables, which were still being set out in front of the new music venue stage.
With the new Cider Shed, Eckert said they want to “give people who visit opportunities for a longer, richer experience.”
All too often when people have come to the restaurant only to find it too crowded, they leave, said Eckert. The hope is that the Cider Shed, the entertainment and events will encourage people to stick around.
Guests can order food from the pavilion via a QR code scanned with a smartphone. Each code is linked to a table, so just make your selections and done! (Don’t you just love technology?)
Eckert said there’s “fun stuff on this menu,” which will include some of the restaurant’s classic items as well as items with a new twist on the old classics.
You’ve heard of beer cheese? At Eckert’s you can get cider cheese for your pretzels.
There’s an outside bar too. With hard ciders on tap.
The lower bar will serve the tables in the music stage area.
There’s an upper bar to serve the raised seating area that Eckert likes to think of as the “VIP deck,” which has rental space potential for special occasions.
The stage consists of a raised concrete slab and framed by that (gorgeous) reclaimed wood I mentioned earlier. The stage curtain is made up of multiple sheets of corrugated steel, which can remain closed for a solo musician or opened up to fit an entire band.
Eckert’s has already released a list of music performances scheduled this summer for its Shows in the Shed series, which are paid ticket events.
Music events at Eckert’s will include both paid and free shows. Watch for live tunes on Sundays from 1-4 p.m.
Concerts will feature different genres of music from musicians, some of them local.
For concert details, visit eckerts.com/events.
Free music events are still kid and dog friendly. Folks can order food or bring something they’ve purchased at the Country Store.
“We’re excited to try a bunch of stuff” with the stage area, said Eckert.
At the back of the stage there’s a dark curtain that can be opened to reveal a giant screen to accommodate slide shows, movies and other visuals via a projector that will soon be mounted from above.
Eckert said they hope to be able to show movies in the new venue and are currently working to obtain licensing permissions to do so.
She said they’ll have picking events where people can come out to enjoy some cider, hit the orchard to pick the current in-season crop and come back for some music and eats.
The final part of our tour was a peek inside of Mr. E’s Cider Donut & Custard Shop (where the magic happens, people!).
Rows and rows of cider donuts were a sight to behold! But I digress.
Mr. E’s is located in what was the cooking classroom in the Country Store. The new shop has three windows – two for ordering and one to pick-up your sweet treats.
Customers can choose from a variety of toppings that include fruit and candy.
For June, there’s a featured flavor to celebrate Pride Month. Pride Love is a sundae made up of rainbow cake, vanilla custard, whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles. A portion of the proceeds from this sundae’s sales will be donated to PFLAG, an organization that is dedicated to supporting, educating and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families.
Did I mention the rows of cider donuts?
Mr. E’s Cider Donut & Custard Shop had a soft opening over Memorial Day weekend and is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Eckert’s Cider Shed is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Eckert’s Belleville Farm is located at 951 S. Green Mount Road in Belleville.
For info, take a gander at eckert’s.com or the Facebook page.
This story was originally published June 10, 2022 at 1:24 PM.
